This invention relates to simultaneous transfer of voice and data over the same communications link and, in particular, to the simultaneous transfer of voice and data over the same communications link using a multi-rate vocoder and a bit control protocol.
The telecommunications market is experiencing many changes as a result of the expansion of wireless communications and the introduction of high speed modems which have become cost effective for many commercial applications. In many applications, it is desirable to be able to transfer both voice and data information over a single communication line. Such may be the case where only one communication line exists.
One technique for simultaneously transferring both voice and data information over a single communications link is to alternately interleave the voice and data information, bit by bit. This approach, however, is inefficient because nearly half of the time the speaker is not talking and, thus, voice information is not present and does not need to be transmitted. Additionally, such a technique requires that the transfer of voice information be synchronous with transfer of data information so that both can be interleaved properly.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a method and technique for efficiently accomplishing the simultaneous transfer of both voice and data information over a single communication line.
It would also be desirable to simultaneously transfer both voice and data information over a single communications by dynamically inserting, based upon demand, voice information within bits of data information.